The Measure You Use

Jesus said: Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated. – Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬-38 ‭CEV‬‬

“Give and it will be given to you,” sounds like what you expect to hear when they pass the collection plate. But Jesus is having a conversation about how to treat others, and how we want God to treat us.

Jesus is telling us that what we give, whether it’s judgement, condemnation, or forgiveness, is coming right back at us!

Do we want to be measured with harshness for our mistakes and flaws? No, of course not! So we need to be very mindful of how we look at others.

We want God to shower us with His grace, so we can’t give our forgiveness sparingly.

We love when God shows us His blessings, so we can’t be picky about our acts of service, or stingy with our kindness.

The MESSAGE version sums this up so well…

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” – Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“Giving, not getting, is the way.” ♥️

Give your time.

Give your patience.

Give your affection.

Give your gentleness.

Give compassion.

Give grace.

Give a little bit of joy.

You will never go wrong if you give these things.

And give these things FROM YOUR HEART.

Dear Jesus, I hear what you’re speaking, and I want to give like You do. I want to give with my heart wide open. Jesus, as I step out into the world today, help me stay mindful of the impact that my words and actions can have on those around me. Help me keep my spirit light, my mood positive, and my words kind. Remind me that I must show the same respect, the same grace, to everyone I encounter – friends and enemies alike.

Amen

Don’t Be Troubled

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Stop allowing yourself to become upset by people and by circumstances.

Jesus gave us a gift. The gift of peace of mind and peace of heart.

We can embrace this gift and choose every day to move around and carry this peace with us wherever we go and through whatever we encounter.

If we choose to stay focused on Our Lord and the gift that He has provided, we live in contentment, regardless of our situation. We don’t need to feel annoyed, bothered, or troubled.

We can allow our circumstances to shift our mindset, or we can cause our mindset to change our circumstances.

Dear Jesus, I am so grateful for Your gift of peace. This is a blessing that is so underrated in the world of nonstop busyness and constant stimulation by our surroundings in the world that we live in today.

Lord, sometimes I forget that this peace is available. When I feel anxiety, worry, and fear creeping in, please remind me that I have a choice to make. I can focus on You and Your words: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” or I can focus on my troubles and stay stuck in the pit of uneasiness and panic that I have fallen into.

Lord, I choose Your peace. Every chance I get, I’ll hold on to this wonderful gift. Amen

Heart and Soul

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. – Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭TPT‬‬

This verse applies to more than our career.

We have to apply this principle to all that we do.

Our relationships,

our health,

our acts of service,

taking care of the home that The Lord has blessed us with.

All of these things are from God, and the bottom line is – we ARE working for Him in all things. When we work wholeheartedly to nurture the things He has provided, we are not just “clocking in.” When we go through each day with a willing and grateful heart, we are not just “doing our job.” Our efforts and our attitudes should reflect the pleasure of serving our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Dear Jesus, I pray that I serve you well today, with a heart full of thankfulness, no matter what circumstances I face. I woke up today, so I know You have a job for me to do! What an honor to be able to serve you today and every day. Lord, I know that to serve you, I must serve others. Help me do so with a heart full of loving kindness and a smile on my face. If I come across a difficult personality or a task that I wouldn’t normally look forward to, keep me focused on You instead, so that I may find the good in the situation.

Amen

The Lord Determines Our Steps

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” — ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬‬

We all have hopes and dreams. Plans for our future.

We can map out the course to arrive at that destination that our heart desires, but we can’t anticipate what unknown circumstances we will face along the way… All the things that life throws at us that we just can’t plan for.

We don’t always know God’s plan for our lives, or if it aligns with the goals that WE have set out to achieve.

John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

Sometimes when we work towards goals that we are sure will line up with God’s purpose for our lives, we become so focused on that end-result that we forget to be present. The excitement and fervor of what lies in our future can blind us to the treasures right in front of us in our everyday lives.

Life doesn’t begin when I

– finish school

– start my dream job

– buy my first home

– retire

– meet the love of my life

We spend so much of our lives trying to get to the next big milestone, that we let the blessings of the present day pass us by.

Lord, please help me to slow down and embrace each day, and the beauty within it. Your plans for me are not to be fulfilled all in one day far off in the future. Every day that I deliberately live for Your purpose is one more little nugget of fulfillment in your master plan of my life. Please help me recognize these opportunities and embrace them as enthusiastically as the big accomplishments that I strive toward in my future.

Amen

My Last Day

“A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born.” — ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬‬

As a Christian, my reputation is more valuable than any prized possession I could ever own. My faith should be the most important thing that people notice about me. Not cute shoes or a fancy car.

I should be living each and every day with a PASSION and a PURPOSE! I don’t know God’s plan for me, so I can’t see His vision for my whole life, or how I fit into the grand scheme of things.

But I can’t wait for some giant arrow that says, “This way to fulfill your purpose ➡️“

Or a blinking neon sign that says, “This is what you were made for!”

I have to live each day to the fullest, and keep thinking, what if it was all over today?

Did I do everything that I could to be who He created me to be?

Was it enough?

Could I have done more?

Should I have…

said something,

hugged someone,

listened more,

waited,

sacrificed,

loved,

or should I have just been… better?

On my last day, I don’t want to look back at my story and think, what was I waiting for?

Just because I don’t know how it ends, doesn’t mean that I can’t start somewhere. And start now.

For most of us, our purpose is not one thing that is going to take place on one day. It’s in all things.

Every little thing that we do out of love and compassion adds up.

When we live our lives bearing the Fruit of The Spirit, it shows. When others see us abide in Him through our actions and our attitudes, we don’t have to worry about our reputations.

Lord, I don’t want a lot of attention from those around me, but I do want those who know me, to know what I stand for. I want them to see that I follow Your path, and live each day like You want me to. I want to make an impact on at least one person every single day.

Lord lead me to a life that will be remembered for shining for YOUR glory.

I want my reputation to be:

“Oh yes, I know her! That girl really loves her some Jesus! 💕”

Amen

Be Productive

Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you don’t know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both — ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬‬

Keep busy with purpose in order to be productive. Don’t allow yourself idleness. Every minute, every hour that you are not moving forward you are wasting. Losing.

Yes, it is ok to relax sometimes, but first do what must be done.

You won’t know ahead of time the single act that is going to bring you success, so you must actively continue doing everything you can to produce results.

God has a purpose for you!! How exciting is that? But you will not fulfill that purpose by sitting by and letting life pass you by – one day after another. You have to stand up and take the steps forward with enthusiasm, because His plans for you include GREAT THINGS!

So what are you waiting for? Embrace EACH and EVERY day with eagerness for the opportunities that it brings you! Stay dedicated to being productive. Because even in the stages of your life when you are not exactly sure what His plan for you includes, you will know what path to follow when you stay close to Him and what He teaches you through the Bible.

Dear God, when I become complacent, please snap me out of it and pull me closer to you. I want to live a productive life, which will lead me to fulfill Your purpose for me. Lord, thank You for every opportunity that You have provided that makes my life worth living. Amen

Be Positive

“With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience.” – Ephesians‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Lord,

I just wanted to start by saying Thank You for providing me with something today…

something that I didn’t have yesterday,

and something that I hope I will have a little more of tomorrow. Optimism is not something that comes naturally to me, but I’m trying, Lord. I’m trying to leave hurtful experiences and struggles in the past.

Lord, pour your positivity into me and help me face every situation with love and kindness.

No matter WHAT I face.

No matter WHO I face.

Soften my guarded heart so that my words come from a gentle and affectionate spirit.

Lord, cloud my judging eyes and give me a clear vision of your peace and love. Let me see the world through eyes of compassion and grace, not through eyes that are wary due to scars from the past.

Amen

My Helper

But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! — Psalms 54:4

My favorite Bible version for every day reading is the NLT version. For me, it’s just the version that’s the easiest read. But when I sit down to study a verse or a passage, I like to compare several different versions. Sometimes the use of one different word will inspire me and, move me, or connect with me on another level that I would have missed by just browsing through on one version alone.

This verse today is just 2 short, but powerful sentences, but I had SUCH a hard time deciding which version spoke to me the loudest! Which version do I put in ink at the top of my page? I decided to go with my standard NLT, and then add some of my other favorite versions here.

Look at all the wonderful things that this verse tells us in its various versions…

– God helps me.

– God keeps me alive.

– God keeps me going.

– God keeps me from falling.

– God takes care of me.

– God upholds my soul.

– God sustains me.

I don’t know about you, but I need ALL OF THESE THINGS! Our God is so wonderful! There’s no question on where to turn when we need help. When we can’t handle things on our own, our helper is God.

No matter what we need from Him, He’s got us!! 💕

“But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going.” – Psalm‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIRV‬‬

“You will help me, Lord God, and keep me from falling;” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭CEV‬‬

“But I know that God is the one who gives me help. My Lord takes care of me.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭EASY‬‬

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those that uphold my soul.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭JUB‬‬

“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” – Psalms‬ ‭54:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being my crutch, my refuge, my comforter, my provider, and my safety net. Let me never forget that You are the first place to turn to when I am in need! Amen

Never Let the Fire Go Out

“Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve The Lord.” Romans 12:11 NIRV

NOTE: this was painted following a tutorial on YouTube. I just put the paint where he told me to and added the verse. Original tutorial by Stay Creative Painting with Ryan O’Rourke https://youtu.be/ATdJfj4sZRk

Don’t get burned out. Our spiritual journey requires us to stay focused. We should be full of excitement as we begin a new day full of opportunities to serve The Lord.

We serve The Lord by serving others, so if you feel your enthusiasm begin to die down, try doing something to make someone smile. It feels good to make someone feel good. You’ve just added kindling to your fire.

When you’re really ready to throw another log on the fire, find volunteer opportunities that are meaningful to you, that incorporate one of your skills or hobbies, or that you can invite your friends and/or family to participate in with you. Finding a way to help others while doing something you enjoy will keep that passion for serving The Lord alive! 🔥 🔥 🔥

Dear Lord, I take delight in serving You! I feel refreshed and alive when I am doing Your work. Sometimes I let troubles, or the distractions of daily life pull me away. When I lose momentum, Lord, please pull me back on track. Renew my enthusiasm for living my life with purpose. Amen

Your Grief Will Turn to Joy

“You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.”‭‭ John‬ ‭16:20b‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We WILL experience loss in our lives that will tear us apart inside. But even our grief, our sorrow, and our heartbreak can turn to joy.

God wants us to see and to celebrate what comes after the pain. It doesn’t make the pain that we are feeling at this moment any less, but it makes it more bearable to know that we can trust God and believe that we will rejoice again. To know, without a doubt, that He is going to bring blessings again that will flood our hearts with happiness. And to understand that this joy will come through Him. Through His presence in our lives, through His grace that covers our imperfections, and through the fulfillment that we gain when we continue on His path, even through our tears.

When my heart is heavy with grief, I will pray:
Lord, I am lost in my grief right now. Please pull me out of this darkness and into Your light. Hold me close and help me shift my focus to see the plans that You have in store for me. Lead me back to the joy that I can find only in You.      Amen